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With the sun shining above, I breathe in air as fresh as the sea below. My spontaneous afternoon trip, via train and bus, has brought me to Éze, an arresting French commune high above the Mediterranean. The village’s entrance is a short walk from the bus stop. Its narrow and rocky paths, lined with restored stone homes and shops, give way to an exotic botanical garden and a breathtaking balcony, 400 metres high. It’s off-season and not crowded. If there is a better place to spend a lazy Sunday, I’ve yet to nd it. The small medieval town has a fairytale quality similar to Monte Carlo, which — just ten kilometres east — is where my day began. Oceania Marina is in Monaco for day three of a 10-day Mediterranean cruise. Our itinerary is destination-heavy without sea days, leaving less time to experience the elegant 1,250-passenger ship but plenty of daylight to explore in port. After a second day on the French Riviera, we’re bound for Spain. I’m not ready to leave the tastes of France behind so I choose Jacques for dinner. Meals onboard have yet to disappoint and tonight’s foie gras, cheese souf é, and crispy duck won’t either. Jacques Pépin’s eponymous bistro is one of Oceania Marina’s four specialty restaurants. A hands-on cooking school is also a draw for foodies. This trip revolves around food. In port, I’ll have pizza in Naples, cheese and pâté in Sanary sur Mer, paella in Valencia, and sh and chips in Gibraltar. In Barcelona, it’s tapas. I’ve been here many times but today is different. I’ve signed up for a culinary tour, led by the cooking school’s chefs. We start by visiting two markets, La Boqueria and Santa Caterina. The rst raucous and brimming with tourists; the second quieter and clearly meant for locals. I could wander La Boqueria for hours. With scents of manchego, chorizo, and Jamón Ser- rano heavy in the air, the energy is palpable. I beeline to the stalls selling anchovy-stuffed olives and Marcona almonds. I’ll save those for later, along with olive oil from our second stop. In Barcelona’s Born neighborhood, we pass the Museum of Modern Art and the Picasso Museum before tucking into a tapas bar. After a long lunch of Catalonian specialties, we grab dessert and head back for a siesta. The cruise ends in Lisbon, but our nal Mediterranean port is Gibraltar. The curious UK outpost is more than 1,700 kilometres from London but exaggerates its Britishness. Think English pubs, sh-and-chip shops, and cafes serving afternoon tea. Looming large is The Rock, the territory’s main attraction. I step into its cable car and glide 400 metres above sea level. Gibraltar’s most famous residents — the apes that call the Upper Rock home — are at the top to say hello. Playful and unafraid, the Barbary macaques may be a bigger draw than the views. I’ll spend the day in the sun at the top of The Rock before heading into the dark siege tunnels carved into its base. Tonight, Oceania Marina will turn into the Atlantic, leaving the Mediterranean behind.

WINE TASTING ONBOARD OCEANIA MARINA

OCEANIA MARINA

With the sun shining above, I breathe in air as fresh as the sea below.